tcristics were conspicuously shown, 

 originality and modesty. Though from 

 the title of the book it might be supposed 

 to be merely a new method of producing 

 artificial magnets, it yet contained some 

 fresh researches in magnetism including 

 the discovery of the law of attraction 

 which is " the basis of the mathematical 

 theory of Magnetism 1 /' The author 

 believed his method of making artificial 

 magnets to be a contrivance of his own, 

 but he admitted that it might prove to be 

 the same as that of his eminent contem- 

 porary Dr Gowin Knight. But of much 

 more importance than the originality of 



1 Whittaker, History of Theories of Aether and 

 Electricity^ p. 55. The full title-page of MichelFs 

 work is as follows: u A Treatise of Artificial Magr 

 nets; in which is shewn an easy and expeditious 

 Method of making them, superior to the best natural 

 ones, by J. Michell, B. A. Fellow of Queens' College, 

 Cambridge. Printed by J. Bentham, Printer to the 

 University and sold by W. and J. Mount and 

 T. Page on Tower Hill&c. MDCCL. (Price i/-)." 

 The copy of the volume in the Library of the Royal 

 Society has a MS. note at the foot of the title-page : 

 "Presented March 22, 1750." 



74 



